Three faction PvP and the essence of open world combat will soon storm upon the shores of the Public Test Shard!

Welcome to Conquest – choose your side and square off in a no-holds-barred, interdimensional battle royal on Thursday, 5/17 @ 4:00PM PDT (11:00PM GMT). This is the first massive test of this brand new feature!

Conquest at a Glance

Engage in massive, cross-shard battles capturing the excitement of Open World PvP at its best!

Align with one of three new factions, the biggest difference is their philosophy. (You will be able to change factions.)

Earn rewards and bonuses for your team – or supercharge yourself with bonuses that can be used outside of Conquest!

Everyone can contribute – crafters play a vital role in every Conquest battle.

This is a brand new feature, details and specifics will likely change based on your feedback and play tests. For the latest info keep an eye on the PTS Forums!

Three Factions From Beyond the Ward

As the Bloodstorm’s onslaught continues to weaken the Ward an ageless feud has breached the divide between worlds and now embattles our own!

Beyond the Ward stretch infinite versions of Telara – each with their own fate and heroes and from the void between them three factions have formed. Their conflict is concerned not with the Vigil or technology, it is to answer one basic question:

What is the role of the Ascended in the cosmos?

To rule, to protect, or continue to ascend.

You must choose your path, Ascended: Are you a Ram, guarding the flock under your iron grip? Do you protect your pride, your virtue gold as the Lion’s mane, keeping the helpless from harm? Or do you soar like a Raven into the twilight – cleansing all corruption in your wake across the universe, whatever the cost?

Conquest – Capturing the Essence of Open World PvP

Not all Telaras were created equal – and some slivers of our world may control the fate of all.

This is a game about domination. Set in the windworn foothills of Stillmoor, the familiar landscape has been transformed with control points and sourcestone powered fortifications as Ascended banners billow under the blood-red sun.

Pitted against two additional competing teams you must wrest control of as many Sourcestone Extractors as possible while preventing your opponents from doing the same.

These control points open access to buffs and resources to your team which provide a wide variety of benefits in addition to unlocking additional buffs and abilities you earn by contributing to your factions cause.

You won’t find gated doors in Conquest – your battle is on the field, not in a cozy castle! However, Caer Mathos (cleansed of its Endless occupants) now holds strategic importance for all three forces.

The match ends when a single team has claimed 40% of the control points or 5,000 players are killed – once this happens a 10 minute timer will start, this is your chance to make a last grab for control – after which you’ll earn your rewards!

Conquest offers yet another way to augment your gameplay and characters and there’s something for everyone. Even crafters play a vital role by refining the battlefield resources into upgrades and even more perks – you’ll find new recipes available at your crafting trainer!

Dominion – The RamThe Blood Storm has won victories because Telara is weak. Fractious, bickering towns without proper defenses make easy prey for the Dragons and their cults. Without strong leadership, Telara fell to the planes in every sliver of reality they invaded. Only the Ascended have the strength to unite the world, to unite the cosmos!

Members of the Dominion envision an empire ruled by the Ascended to protect mortals from the elemental horrors. A united Ascended empire can stand together to broker peace… and if peace is refused, the Dominion would be better able to wage war than the rag-tag adventuring bands of the past.

The Dominion views Nightfall as a deluded cult of sorcerers and cowards, and would be more than happy to send them on to the Soul Stream. The Oathsworn are meddlers and anarchists, who give lip service to freedom and protection, but would lose the war to win inconsequential battles. The Dominion welcome all Ascended to share the burden of rule, but those who refuse their burden must be eliminated.

The sigil of the Dominion is the regal Ram, who leads and defends his flock, guarding them from a savage world.

Oathsworn – The LionSince the Age of Dragons, Telara has relied upon her protectors. First, mortal heroes rose to imprison the dragons and construct the Ward that safeguarded the world for centuries. Today, the Ascended quest tirelessly to slay the Blood Storm themselves. This is the legacy of service that the Oathsworn adhere to. They are the protectors of creation, and the discovery of the many slivers of Telara only strengthens their resolve.

The Oathsworn have been given a gift. Either by divine will or advanced technology, they were brought back to the world with incredible power to fulfill a great purpose. The Ascended have saved the world time and time again from the danger of the planes. As the Ascended conquer the cults and the dragons, they must unite and prepare for the next great threat.

The Oathsworn believe that the Ascended should guard Telara from all threats from the planes and beyond, and now from the powerful Ascended of the slivers. Those who would squander this gift for selfish ends and no better than the cults, will share the cultists’ fate. Those who follow the path of Nightfall would abandon the world and are thus no better than the demons they emulate. The Oathsworn see the Dominion as nothing but petty tyrants, subjugating those very mortals they were created to serve.

Oathsworn identify with the Lion: the steadfast soldier and selfless protector.

Nightfall – The RavenWhat is the purpose of Ascension? Are these mighty immortals merely the glorified city guard for one tiny world? Should such beings retire to a simple life after slaying godlike dragons? Or were they meant for more? Returning from the dead with phenomenal power was surely but the first step on the Ascended journey!

Nightfall believes that the Ascended share ultimate purpose beyond protecting Telara from dragons, monsters, and cultists. The next step along the journey of Ascension is to leave this world for more cosmic realms, before it’s too late. For as power of the Ascended grows, only the might of the other Ascended can oppose them, and such a conflict would destroy any inhabited reality. Thus, all Ascended should leave Telara for good and journey into the planes to seek their ultimate purpose. Nightfall hopes this departure will be voluntary, but they will send dissenters to the River of Souls rather than allow their presence to further contaminate Telara.

The Oathsworn may think their vigilance helps the mortals, but with every act, they endanger the world. If they would only listen to reason and ascend from this plane of existence, they would find victory over the elements, because they were the greatest threat all along. The Dominion is no better than the cults, imposing Ascended rule as if they were divine kings. And like the cults, they must be destroyed.

Nightfall’s symbol is the Raven, a wise bird of secrets and powerful truths.